Process for producing wood effects upon metal panels



March 3, 1931. l i H C, M|LLER v 1,794,528

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING WOOD EFFECTS UPON METAL PANELS Filed May 21, 1929 [1/ \1 jig' J @www l1! n' 4 1 W i 15 i y bia/"man C4/Iller Patented Mar. 3, 1931 y UNITED STATES HERMAN C. MILLER, Olli'. CANTON, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR T0 THE UNITED METAL PRODUCTS PATENT- roFFlcF.

COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO l PROCESS FOR PRODUCING WOOD EFFECTS UPON METAL`PANEI|S- Y Application mea may 21, 1929. seriai No. 364,766.

The invention relates to the ornamentation of metal panels for use upon' metal doors, elevator entrances and other places where ornamented sheetV metal is used and more particularly to the production of wood effect 4 on etched metal sheets or plates.

Attempts have been made `to ornament' etched metal sheets or plates bypressing a wood veneer into the recesses and crevices of .the etched metal surface, glue or cement being used to cause the wood to adhere there- A to.

It is very diiiicult to permanently attach wood to metal by means of cement or glue and it has been found by experience that after a'short time, particularly where the same is exposed to any dampness or moisture, the wood will peel from the metal surface.- It is also obvious that very fine crev- 20 ices in the etched metal surface' cannot be filled with the wood veneer as the same will break and crumble when out into very narrow widths.

The object of the present improvement is to produce a wood inlay effect on etched metal panels which will evenly fill all fine crevices in the etched surface and which will adhere permanently thereto..

The objects of the invention lmay be attained by irst'etching a sheet or plate c f copper, brass or any other desired metal, having in relief only the design which is desired to be shown in metal on the nished'panel.

A plastic mineral inlay or composition is then rubbed into all of the etched cavities l and crevices, entirely filling the same and the panel is then baked until the mineral inlay is properly hardened. The surface is then vwith veryfine emery 5) trated 1n the smoothed by grinding or the like, cutting the baked inlay material down until it is iu'sh with the exposed metal surface. I

A chemical coloring matter to produce any desired wood nish is then. painted over the vsurface and grained to represent wood, after which the finished surface'may be sanded cloth or the like and lacquered if desired. l

An embodiment of the invention is illuswhich accompanying drawing, in

Figure 1 is an elevation of a panel ornamented by the improvedprocess;

Fig.l 2, an enlarged cross sectional view through the etched metal plate;

Fig. 3, a similar view showing the plate after the mineral inlay has been rubbed into the crevices and recesses therein; and

Fig. 4, a similar view of kthe completed article. y

Similar numerals refer -to simllar parts throughout the drawing.

In carrying out the process, the metal sheet or plate 10 is first etched to produce the desired design upon the\surface thereof.

This etching is carried out in any usual and well known manner by covering the portions of the metal surface showing the design with any suitable acid resisting coating and then etching the plate with acid which eats out the 'exposed surfaces of the metal, form-` ing recesses and crevices, as indicated generally lat 11, leaving the'design in relief, as shownat 12.

A plastic'mineral inlay indicated at 13 is 'then rubbed into all of 'the recesses and crevcned bybaking, the rough or irregular surfaces thereof are ground down until the same are flush with the metal surfaces 12, producing a flush surface, as shown in Fig. 4.

-A chemical coloring is then applied to the surface to produce any desired woodefl'ect. This coloring has an ainity for the mineral inlay but will not adhere tothe metal surfaces of the design. This colored surface may then be grained in the manner customary in graining wood finished metal.

The entire surface may then be sanded with fine emery cloth or the like, leaving the bright smooth metal surfaces 12 showin the design and the wood grained inlay, as lndicated 'at 14, surrounding the design. Lacquer or the like may be applied to the entire nshed surface if desired. Y

From the above it will be seen that objections present in the Wood veneering process are overcome because the plastic mineral inlay may be rubbed into the finest crevices in the etched plate or sheet and the inlay ,will

permanently adhere to ythe metal and Will' i not b e loosened therefrom by dampness or moisture.

I claim: d l. The process for producing Wood effects on metal panels which consists in etching a design upon a metal surface, filling the recesses and crevices in the etched surface With a plastic mineral inlay, baking saidinlay, grinding the surfaces of the baked inlay flush With the normal surface of the metal, coloring the' mineral inlay With a chemical coloring and graining the surface of the mineral inlay in imitation of Wood grain.

'2.- The process for producing Wood effects on metal panels which consists in etching a design upon a metal surface, filling the recesses and crevices in the etched surface with a plastic mineral inlay, baking said inlay, grinding the surfaces of the baked inlay Hush with the normal surface of the metal, coloring the mineral inlay with a chemical coloring, sanding the ventiresurface 4of the metal and inlay, graining the surface ofthe mineral inlay in imitation of wood 'grainw and lacquering the finished surface.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HERMAN C. MILLER. 

